Rothko Chapel

The Rothko Chapel presented a meditation in the Jewish tradition, led by Cantor Rollin Simmons of Congregation Emanu El.

During these uncertain times, it is essential to find ways to be present in the moment, to not just wish this time away, but to find joy and gratitude around and within ourselves.

As we near the most sacred time of the Jewish calendar - Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement - we will use the tools of Jewish ritual and prayer to bring awareness to our bodies and lift our spirits up with song.

Aset Hetep presented a family friendly meditation focused on unconditional love in the Ancient Kemetic (Nubian Egyptian) tradition.

Amidst the developing COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about returning to school, and ongoing work to address racial injustices, this guided meditation for all ages helped us to release judgement, negativity, and attachments, moving into a space of understanding and unconditional love. Let go of passing judgement in order to tap into the high vibrational frequency of unconditional love for self, others and the planet.

About the presenter

Aset Hetep is the founder of Shemsu Ra Inc - a Non-profit 501 (c)(3) Organization dedicated to helping spread Divine Light, Love, Peace, Wisdom, Harmony, Order and Equanimity (Maat) throughout the world. She is a Certified Yoga Instructor, Certified Reiki Practitioner and Teacher. She also teaches classes on how to effectively meditate. Aset left the corporate world two years ago, where she worked as a Senior Computer Security Engineer to serve a higher purpose in the world fulltime.

About the Twelve Moments series

Since 2005, the Rothko Chapel has shared a monthly contemplative practice featuring different spiritual and faith traditions. Taking place on the first Wednesday of each month from 12-1pm, this series engages teachers and religious leaders locally from the greater Houston community, providing opportunities to learn more about specific traditions and participate in a contemplative practice.

Please note the meditation recording is choppy for the first 40 seconds.

For the month of November, the Rothko Chapel presented a meditation in the Bön Buddhist tradition, led by Tibetan Lama Geshe Denma Gyaltsen and Tibetan meditation teacher, Alejandro Chaoul of Ligmincha Texas. This session of Tibetan meditation used seed syllables, comprised of three vocalized sounds that connect and awaken your body, speech, and mind. Each seed sound is explored first individually then combined to promote clarity and balance amidst the stressors of a pandemic, hurricanes, wildfires, and election season.

Dr. Alejandro Chaoul is the founding director of The Jung Center's Mind Body Spirit Institute (MBSI) and holds a doctoral degree in religious studies from Rice University. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at UT Medical School and MD Anderson Cancer Center, where since 1999, he has been leading people with cancer and their family members through mind/body/spirit techniques aimed at reducing stress and facilitating healing. He has also engaged in research to assess the benefits of these practices in different populations. Dr. Chaoul is the author of Tibetan Yoga for Health and Well-Being and Chöd Practice in the Bön Tradition. Dr. Chaoul has personally studied Buddhist practices and traditions with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Löpon Tenzin Namdak and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. He brings over 20 years of experience as a teacher of Bön Buddhism and Tibetan yoga. His affiliation with the Ligmincha Institute has given him the opportunity to instruct throughout the United States, Latin America, and Europe. He is also a senior teacher of the 3 Doors program and has been recognized as a Fellow of the Mind & Life institute. Dr. Chaoul serves as an advisor of the Rothko Chapel.

Geshe Denma Gyaltsen is the resident lama of Ligmincha Texas. He arrived in Houston in January 2016 to serve as Ligmincha Texas’s first resident lama. Geshe Denma was born in northern Nepal. His father brought him to Menri Monastery, India, regarded as the mother Bon monastery in exile, in 1981 to begin his program of study toward the Geshe degree. He received all the Bon teachings, initiations and transmissions in sutra, tantra and dzogchen from His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche, the 33rd Menri Trizin, and His Eminence Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche. When he became a senior student, he was asked to teach philosophy to younger students. He successfully completed this degree program in 1996 and was awarded the Geshe certificate, which is considered equivalent to a Ph.D. in Bön Buddhist philosophy and religion. Geshe Denma was an accomplished teacher and in 1998 was appointed, with the approval of the Tibetan government in exile, first abbot of Zhu Rishing Yungdrung Kundak-Ling Monastery, a Bon Monastery in Sikkim, India by His Holiness. He served two terms in this capacity until 2003. In addition, from the time he graduated until 2008, Geshe Denma also was active in assisting Geshe Nyima Dakpa with the Bon Children’s Home, which houses many children in Dolanji, India, providing them with food, healthcare and free education.

Celebrating the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Rothko Chapel, in partnership with the Barbara Jordan – Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University, presented a conversation exploring the influence of MLK and the Civil Rights Movement on the environmental justice movement. Scholars, activists and community leaders explored the evolution of the environmental justice movement, continued environmental challenges and inequities faced by vulnerable and frontline communities, and actions being taken to improve the health of the region.

Speakers include: George Kieh, TSU BJ-ML School of Public Affairs Dean; David Leslie, Executive Director of the Rothko Chapel; Dr. Robert Bullard, Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University; Richard M. Mizelle, Jr., Associate Professor of History and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Houston; Bridgette Murray, Founder and Executive Director of Achieving Community Tasks Successfully (ACTS); and Yvette Arellano, policy research and grassroots advocate with Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (t.e.j.a.s.).

This program was presented as part of the Rothko Chapel’s two-year programmatic initiative exploring climate change's impact on individuals around the world, culminating with the biennial Rothko Chapel Óscar Romero Award for Human Rights in 2020.

Offsite Program 5/16/19

Neuroscience and Visual Art: The Complex Relationship of Light, Color and the Brain

Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS)

“It is not what you look at that matters. It is what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau

Light allows us to experience our world, including art, and different lighting conditions have a profound impact on our overall visual perception.

This lecture by neurologist and Rothko Chapel board member, Dr. Aziz Shaibani, illustrated the physical properties of light and the way the brain processes light and color, providing insight into the complex relationship between light, perception, and art.

This event was one in a series of offsite programs presented by the Rothko Chapel in partnership with Houston-area organizations while the Chapel is closed for restoration. The Rothko Chapel and grounds are closed to the public, to reopen in early 2020. This temporary closure is the first part of the implementation of the Rothko Chapel Opening Spaces master plan, focused on preserving the Chapel as a unique public art site and spiritual space, serving the growing number of visitors and program participants, and setting the stage for programmatic expansion.

About the presenter:

Aziz Shaibani, MD, is a practicing neurologist in Houston who also specializes in neuromuscular medicine and neurophysiology. Dr. Shaibani graduated from Mosul University in Iraq in 1983 and completed residency in neurology and fellowship in neuromuscular disorders at Baylor College of Medicine, and currently is the director of Nerve & Muscle Center of Texas and is affiliated with Baylor St Luke's Medical Center. He is a clinical professor at Baylor College of Medicine. He is past president of the Texas Neurological Society and current vice president of the neuromuscular section of the American Academy of Neurology, and the past president of the National Arab American Medical Association, and currently serves as the President of the Arab-American Educational Foundation and is on the Board of the Arab American National Museum and the Rothko Chapel. Dr. Shaibani published a prize winning book "Video Atlas of Neuromuscular Diseases," the second edition was released in 2018 by Oxford University Press. He has published many articles in peer reviewed journals including the New England Journal of Medicine.

4/8/19

Offsite: Texas Light: The Art & Architecture of the Rothko Chapel

University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design Theater

Presented in partnership with the University of Houston School of Architecture, this program explored the role of light in creating intentional experiences, and the history of the Rothko Chapel’s architectural design with special focus on the skylight, from conception to post-renovation. The program included presentations by Christopher Rothko, George Sexton, and Stephen Cassell, and will be followed by a moderated conversation by Sandra Zalman, UH Art History Professor.

Christopher Rothko, writer, son of the artist Mark Rothko, and former Chair of the Rothko Chapel Board of Directors, will share the history of the commission and design of the Rothko Chapel, the collaboration between Mark Rothko and original architect Phillip Johnson, the importance of natural light in the Rothko Chapel (and how this differs from Rothko paintings) and the past iterations of the Chapel skylight since its opening in 1971.

Stephen Cassell, founding Principal of Architecture Research Office (ARO), who is leading the restoration effort of the Chapel, will discuss the current state of the Chapel and the planned restoration project, including the new skylight, that will for the first time fully bring the Chapel into alignment with Mark Rothko’s original vision. Cassell will also describe the expansion of the Chapel’s campus with three new buildings that support the Chapel’s public programs.

George Sexton, Founder and Principal of George Sexton Associates, and an expert in museum lighting will discuss how the design of the new skylight and baffle system was developed through the use of a large-scale day-light model. Sexton will also discuss the innovative artificial lighting system that will light the paintings.

This event was one in a series of offsite programs presented by the Rothko Chapel in partnership with Houston-area organizations while the Chapel is closed for renovations. The Rothko Chapel and grounds are closed to the public, to reopen in winter 2019/2020. This temporary closure is the first part of the implementation of the Rothko Chapel Opening Spaces master plan, focused on preserving the Chapel as a unique public art site and spiritual space, serving the growing number of visitors and program participants, and setting the stage for programmatic expansion.

3/2/19

1-2:30pm

Legislation and Public Policy Strategies

Positive climate change outcomes depend on sound legislative decisions at the local, state, and national levels. Attendees learned about current policy initiatives and how we can be more effective advocates.

Lara Cottingham, Chief of Staff of the Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department and the Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Houston

Jay Blazek Crossley, Executive Director of Farm&City

Luke Metzger, Executive Director of Environment Texas

Bakeyah Nelson, Executive Director of Air Alliance Houston

Moderator: Elizabeth Love, Senior Program Officer for the Houston Endowment, Inc.

The Rothko Chapel and University of St. Thomas hosted a three day symposium exploring the current climate crisis, its impact on vulnerable communities, and mitigation efforts being implemented locally and nationally.

Given the global interconnectedness of the climate crisis, the symposium explored how best to move to a zero emission, low carbon economy through the engagement of presenters from religious, Indigenous, public health, energy, government, philanthropic, academic and arts sectors and communities. A central focus was on individual and institutional actions, practices and policies that must be taken to create a more livable and equitable future.

3/2/19

10:45am-12:15pm

Communicating Climate Change

Our current climate crisis demands that we identify new modes of communication to convey the urgent moment we find ourselves in and to demonstrate why people should care. This presentation and conversation followed the work and perspectives of an artist, former coal miner, environmental journalist and Indigenous leader.

Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Founder, Host and Producer of First Voices Indigenous Radio and a member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation of South Dakota

Jim Morris, journalist and interim CEO of the Center for Public Integrity

Eve Mosher, artist and creator of the HighWaterLine project

Nick Mullins, former Appalachian coal miner and founder of Breaking Clean, an environmental communication firm working to develop messaging strategies across sociocultural and political divides

Moderator: Christie Manning, PhD, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Psychology at Macalester College

The Rothko Chapel and University of St. Thomas hosted a three day symposium exploring the current climate crisis, its impact on vulnerable communities, and mitigation efforts being implemented locally and nationally.

Given the global interconnectedness of the climate crisis, the symposium explored how best to move to a zero emission, low carbon economy through the engagement of presenters from religious, Indigenous, public health, energy, government, philanthropic, academic and arts sectors and communities. A central focus was on individual and institutional actions, practices and policies that must be taken to create a more livable and equitable future.

3/2/19

2:30-3pm

Closing Reflections and Moving Forward

David Leslie, Executive Director of the Rothko Chapel, and Dr. Shivas Amin, Associate Professor of Biology at the University of St. Thomas, reflected with symposium attendees on the range of topics covered and discussed some of the many opportunities for action and advocacy.

The Rothko Chapel and University of St. Thomas hosted a three day symposium exploring the current climate crisis, its impact on vulnerable communities, and mitigation efforts being implemented locally and nationally.

Given the global interconnectedness of the climate crisis, the symposium explored how best to move to a zero emission, low carbon economy through the engagement of presenters from religious, Indigenous, public health, energy, government, philanthropic, academic and arts sectors and communities. A central focus was on individual and institutional actions, practices and policies that must be taken to create a more livable and equitable future.

3/1/19

2-5:15pm

The Science, Policy, Technology, and Economics of Climate Change: Past, Present and Future

This cross-sector, interactive session shined a light on the perspectives and work of scientists, economists, policy makers, environmentalists, and engineers, and included presentations, breakout discussions and a moderated conversation.

Jim Blackburn, Co-Director of Severe Storm Predication, Education, and Evacuation from Disaster (SSPEED) Center

Mark Boling, Founder and CEO of 2C Energy, LLC

Astrid Caldas, Senior Climate Scientist at Union of Concerned Scientists

Maha N. Haji, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Mechanical Engineering, Research Affiliate

Amy Myers Jaffe, David M. Rubenstein Senior Fellow for Energy and Environment and Director of the Program on Energy Security and Climate Change at the Council on Foreign Relations

Michael Skelly, Senior Advisor of Renewable Energy & Sustainability at Lazard

The Rothko Chapel and University of St. Thomas hosted a three day symposium exploring the current climate crisis, its impact on vulnerable communities, and mitigation efforts being implemented locally and nationally.

Given the global interconnectedness of the climate crisis, the symposium explored how best to move to a zero emission, low carbon economy through the engagement of presenters from religious, Indigenous, public health, energy, government, philanthropic, academic and arts sectors and communities. A central focus was on individual and institutional actions, practices and policies that must be taken to create a more livable and equitable future.